France. Student Union calls for blockage of secondary and universities

A measure is a reaction — according to itself — to the prohibition of the route proposed by protesters for the demonstration taking place today in Paris, and aims to demonstrate the “legitimity of their claims”.

“To want to ban demonstrations every week, to want to ban the processions that have always taken place peacefully... We will show them that they are wrong (...) and that our claims are legitimate”, said Sabrine Kharbach — who also spoke on behalf of the Trade Union Union of Secondary Education Students (USL), at the beginning of the march in Paris.

“ Already this Tuesday, we will block our universities and secondary schools; we will do the same on Thursday, then participate in the demonstration that day, taking into account the appeal of workers and workers ", he added.

“We are not asking for luxury; we do not want a MacBook in each classroom, nor a gastronomic restaurant,” said Ryad Rani, president of USL. “We ask for dignified conditions, appropriate conditions to study, and a national plan for institutions’ infrastructure”.

“On Tuesday, we will do the blockade,” he added. “Of course, we will support, as of Monday, the actions organized by students from secondary and university education. But on Monday, we invite everyone to organize themselves in general assemblies, so that we can carry out even more effective blockades on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday — and for as long as necessary — until we win and win worthy conditions in this country.”.

The French authorities fear that today’s mobilizations against the high cost of living — in full “Halloween” — will be marked by violence and looting, like what happened on 17 October; therefore, they maintained an exceptional security scheme, with the mobilisation of 70,000 police and “gendarmes”.

This new day of protests takes place six months from the presidential election, in which the extreme right-wing candidate Marine Le Pen appears as a favorite, according to polls.